The present invention is directed to improving the security and safety of those driving vehicles, especially those associated with commercial transportation, such as taxi cabs. In particular, the present invention relates to a system enabling discrete triggering of an alarm whenever a driver is in danger of, for example, a robbery. In such a situation, the driver's movement is severely restricted since the threat of physical harm is always an element in a robbery. Thus, an alarm must be capable of being triggered with only minimal unnoticeable movement by the driver. However, the alarm should not be falsely triggered by normal driver and vehicle movement during operation of the vehicle. In addition to minimizing false alarms, the triggering system should enable the alarm to be tested such that the alarm is activated without indicating an alarm condition.